About rbc

We are a progressive Baptist congregation about twelve miles from Washington, DC, that constantly seeks to be responsive to the movement of the Spirit to establish justice, peace, and the reign of God “on earth, as it is in heaven.”

We do our best to follow the example of Jesus by creating a caring, inclusive community; by studying the Bible and allowing it to speak to us in new and challenging ways; by worshiping God in spirit and in truth; by nurturing relationships within our fellowship and developing new relationships with those outside our church; by building bridges and seeking understanding through interfaith dialogue; and by seeking to be peacemakers in all aspects of our corporate life. 

We are a welcoming and affirming congregation. Your family is loved and celebrated at Ravensworth Baptist Church. Our denominational home is with the Alliance of Baptists.

Our Logo

In December 2021, RBC affirmed this new logo. A circle of inclusion, the logo displays our stained glass windows. The colorful windows are offset, symbolizing the call of Holy Spirit for us to break out of created barriers, brightly offering love to all of God’s beloveds. Centered by the cross, we are called to reflect the love of Jesus as we share love, do justice, and build community. 

A Brief History

For more than sixty years, Ravensworth Baptist Church as been a progressive Baptist presence in Northern Virginia. We began our life as an outgrowth of the First Baptist Church of Annandale, sent as a mission to the growing North Springfield community. On March 15, 1959, 54 persons accepted an invitation to join together and make that mission a Church – dedicated to enacting the love of Christ in our community and around the world. 

Our passion for God’s Justice that has defined us as a congregation. During the civil rights movement, RBC joined with other local churches in a pledge to support fair housing. During the Poor People’s campaign in the late 1960s, we provided housing for those traveling to the capital, even converting the baptistry into a temporary shower: God’s house is sacred, but God’s people are more sacred, still.

From the beginning, we were committed to affirming the full partnership of women in ministry and have benefited in countless ways from the leadership of lay women, deacons, and as members of the pastoral staff. In 2006, we followed God a little further along the road, voting to join the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists (AWAB), thereby officially welcoming and affirming the LGBTQIA+ community already part of our church and community. Over the years, God has continually remade our congregation into an inclusive, open church, and this has only fueled our desire to go beyond our doors and engage with the wider world. 

We participate in missions and social ministries in our local area, all over the country, and throughout the world. We enthusiastically support the Annandale Christian Community for Action (ACCA), Habitat for Humanity, Rebuilding Together, and, in recent years, the Shepherd’s Center of Annandale/Springfield. In addition to these local efforts, we have worked to combat hunger, make peace, and ensure religious liberty for all people around the world. We have formed lasting relationships with people, congregations, and organizations in as far-flung places as Bethlehem, Cuba, South Sudan, Mississippi, and Malawi. Each year, we participate in the Church World Service CROP Walk, and collect offerings for a wide variety of missions endeavors. 

Each year we become more deeply engaged in the effort to bring peace with justice to Israel and Palestine, even sending teams to Palestine to learn firsthand about peacemaking efforts in the Holy Land. And we frequently participate in interfaith dialogue so that we may have a greater understanding of those who believe differently than ourselves – to gain respect for our differences, and to see what deeper humanity connects us as well.

In addition to these outward activities, we are encouraged by our pastor Rev. Dr. Leah Grundset Davis, to consider how following Jesus transforms us and the world. Church members deepen their prayer lives through contemplation, silence, and other spiritual practices. Sunday School classes and Bible Studies have long been committed to an intellectually challenging scriptural scholarship, while still remaining respectful of all persons’ intelligence and autonomy.

Worship, though varying slightly over our history, is always a mix of the new and the old, of contemplation and of joyful expression – reflecting our commitment to spiritual diversity. It is warm, uplifting, and stirring, drawing forth the best from everyone in the community.